LIFE ON THE TREAD (RADIAL TIRE TREAD WEAR)

To counteract car-road factors, tire design engineers have three major areas of direct control: tread compound, tread design, and reinforcing materials. The driver is the most important factor in achieving potential mileage from tires, since he has the responsibility to rotate tires and to avoid wheel-spinning starts. With front-wheel-drive (fwd) cars, rotation is not always necessary. Goodyear tests have shown that rotating radial tires front to rear on a fwd car increases tire wear, and that their standard radial tires can average 37,000 mi. on the front and 95,000 mi. on the rear (approximately the life of the car). A recent Firestone survey found that 25% of passenger car tires removed from service would be 40 times more likely to blow out or go flat than new tires. The tread had been worn down below the tread wear indicators (eight horizontal bands across the tread) which appear when only 2/32 in. of the original 9/32 in. tread remains. Bald as well as underinflated tires can hydroplane (ride on top of water); traction, steering, and braking are seriously degraded. Bald tires double the risk of skidding on wet smooth pavement, and are illegal in 39 states. Tread depth can be measured with a gauge at the shop, or the owner can do the job himself by placing a penny with Lincoln's head upside down in the tread groove. If the top of head is visible, the tires should be replaced.

• Corporate Authors:

  US Air Force Inspection and Safety, Center

  Norton AFB, CA  United States  92409
• Publication Date: 1981-1

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 14-16
• Serial:
  • Driver
  • Volume: 14
  • Issue Number: 7
  • Publisher: US Air Force Inspection and Safety, Center

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Design; Front wheel drive; Hydroplaning; Inflation; Pavements; Radial ply tires; Rotation; Skidding; Tire pressure; Tire treads; Tires; Wear; Wet weather
• Uncontrolled Terms: Mileage; Wet pavements
• Old TRIS Terms: Radial tires
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Pavements; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00370518
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-031 196
• Files: HSL, USDOT
• Created Date: Feb 28 1983 12:00AM